We were here on a Tuesday around 11:30 a.m., and it started getting packed with customers shortly after. The main issue was that there was only one staff member on the floor, and she had to manage seat arrangements, payments, clearing plates, and cashiering all by herself. When I was ordering an item that was not on the conveyor belt, she told me that it had to wait until the chef was ready to make it, as there were only two chefs at the moment. She mentioned this three times, saying the item could not be ordered and required waiting. I think she was extremely busy and misunderstood that I was only asking why the sushi was not on the belt. There were also customers who wanted takeaway orders. The staff informed them that takeaway for items not on the belt was unavailable due to the kitchen being too busy. The first group left without placing a takeaway order. The second group was a father and his adult son. The father became frustrated and spoke very loudly, saying, “Then you shouldn’t operate the business if you’re short of staff.” Before he raised his voice, the staff had already explained several times that she was unable to fulfill takeaway requests due to manpower shortages. After that, she took his order and went to the kitchen. The three-star rating is mainly for the management’s lack of staffing, which caused the on-shift staff to struggle managing everything alone. This likely made the situation stressful for her and affected the overall customer experience. As mentioned, the available items on the conveyor belt were also limited due to the manpower issue. Around 12:00 p.m., the manager started her shift and assisted the staff. That was also when we made payment and left. I understand that the crowd might have been unforeseen on a weekday, but this was already close to the lunch peak period. I suggest assigning more staff starting from 11:30–11:45 a.m., instead of leaving one staff member to handle all services alone, as this leads to poor customer experiences and dissatisfaction.

I do understand it was peak hour but my orders fell on deaf ears TWICE and what's worse, the soup order was eventually placed wrongly. So I guess my disappointment is well justified, isn't it? I ordered salmon and clam miso soup and showed the item on the digital menu. And after waiting for some time, I checked for the second time if my soup was ready. Having waited for an awkwardly long time, I checked with the staff for the third time. It was only until then that I knew the order was not even placed yet. I ended up getting just the regular miso soup. There was no system. It was so messed up!

Food is decent as always — a good spot for a quick sushi fix at reasonable prices. However, the outlet seems consistently understaffed. Since the renovation, this is already my 4th visit (I stay nearby), and every single time I’ve asked for edamame, it has been unavailable. As shown in the image, there were no staff at the ground floor at all. I waited close to 5 minutes before finally seeing someone come out from the staff area so I could make payment. There isn’t even a service bell available, so customers are left with no choice but to wait. Management seriously needs to improve the service standards and manpower allocation. An open-concept eatery should not be left unattended without staff present.

Went to Hougang Mall Sushi Express for the Sushi mascot cushion but realised that the cushions are all out of stock. Staff was kind to allow redemption of the voucher first and collection of the cushion another day when the stocks were replenished. The Christmas mood was elevated in the restaurant with Santa Claus and other Xmas decos on the belt and around the place. Good ambience and kind staff.

food selection can be improved. short of man power on weekends. overall its affordable sushi to go for.